The first two publications of the press were reprints of works by Carl Bridenbaugh. The first original book, published in May 1964, was A Voyage to Virginia in 1609, Two Narratives, an edition of William Strachey's True Reportory and Silvester Jourdain's A Discovery of The Barmudas, edited by Folger Shakespeare Library director Louis Booker Wright. Walker Cowen was the second director of the press, and was succeeded by Nancy Essig in 1988. Penelope Kaiserlian served as director from 2001 until her retirement in 2012. The press's name was changed to the University of Virginia Press in 2002.[3] Mark Saunders succeeded Kaiserlian as director after her retirement.[4]